Cheating the Stars
by trekhorse42
Summary: When a clan leader and a laid-back warrior head to the abandoned bear den in the dead of the night, they find themselves in deeper trouble than expected. Between fighting cats from another clan for a sacred gem, and leading her own clan, Tanglestar has her paws full. Can she also handle two apprentices who have fallen into deep trouble as well?
1. Chapter 1

The leaves crunched under her paws, despite her attempts to step lightly. Moonlight filtered through the tree branches, randomly highlighting her path. In the distance the sound of water rippling over stones could be heard.

"Why are we out here?" Hawkmask whispered.

"I can't tell you. I just… know there's something out here I need to see," Tanglestar answered, slipping through a gap in the bushes.

Hawkmask followed, and both cats stood on the shore of the creek, feeling vulnerable in the moonlight. A cool Greenleaf breeze blew over them, ruffling their fur. Tanglestar closed her eyes and raised her head to the night sky flooded with stars, listening, feeling, and waiting. Hawkmask stood patiently beside her, his black stripes shimmering in the ghostly moonlight.

"We need to go to the brown beast's cave," The clan leader said, her voice grave as she lowered her head and opened her green eyes.

"Are you crazy? We'll be killed!" The warrior protested.

"No… the brown beasts are gone. There's something there, waiting for me," the she-cat replied, taking a step forward towards the shallow creek.

Hawkmask grit his teeth, but followed his leader. He wasn't the kind of warrior to question his leader. If she said there was something waiting there, he was going to trust her. It might be a vision from Starclan, and he wouldn't doubt that.

Both cats trotted through the creek, not flinching as the cold water caused their fur cling to their muscled legs. Once they reached the shore on other side, Tanglestar took off into a run, not even bothering to shake the water off her fur. Hawkmask was on her tail.

Both cats weaved through the forest, the brown tabby she-cat leading the way. She was confident in what she was doing, but it would help to know why she had to go to the cave. She wondered what was waiting there…

"Tanglestar, can we rest?" Hawkmask asked, coming to a stop as they passed through a clearing surrounded by tall trees and vicious brambles.

Tanglestar slid to a halt, turning to face the fierce warrior. "You're tired?"

"We've been running ever since we left camp. We just passed the dead tree pile. Can't we take a short break?" The warrior pleaded.

"Oh… yes. You can try hunting if you want." Tanglestar hadn't realized how far they had run. They had already passed the dead tree pile? She hadn't noticed it.

Tanglestar sat down, and licked her paws as Hawkmask disappeared into the forest, searching for prey. She felt her blood pumping through her body, and a need to go to the dens. Her paws tingled, she was ready to run. Maybe she should leave Hawkmask? He could always follow her scent trail, plus he already knew where she was going. Why not?

Tanglestar rose to her feet, and was about to take off when the warrior appeared from the trees, a frail mouse gripped in his jaws. When he saw the clan leader prepared to run, he dropped the mouse and asked, "Is now a bad time to eat?"

Tanglestar immediately felt bad for even letting the thought of leaving Hawkmask cross her mind. What had gotten into her?

The tom must have seen the regret show in her face, and offered, "I can eat this once we get there. I just needed to give my paws a rest from running."

Tanglestar dipped her head in thanks and trotted into the forest, and her loyal warrior followed.

They were growing nearer to the den; the only obstacle in the way was the Falling Cliff, a dangerous section of cliff where every step you took could possibly be your last.

The trees came to an immediate end, and the dirt turned to stone. The two cats stepped into the moonlight, and began to pick out their way up the cliffside. Small pebbles skittered across the path as Tanglestar walked, and Hawkmask did his best to not slide on them.

Once they reached the top of the cliff, Tanglestar trotted away from the edge where loose rocks lie, and headed for a thicket where she knew a hidden path lay just beyond. The tom was close behind.

"Tanglestar, we need to be cautious, we're on the edge of Mountainclan territory and the Falling Cliff…"

"I know, I'm not an apprentice. I can handle myself," the leader spat, pushing through the bushes. She emerged on a path scattered with boulders, and began to navigate her way down, careful not to step near the edge with was a drop off. After a few steps Tanglestar began running, eager to find out what was waiting.

Hawkmask shook his head and followed, trying to smell the air for signs of danger through the overwhelming scent of fresh mouse filling his nose.

At last, the downward trail came to an end, and there in the shadow of the cliff was the entrance to the rock den. Tanglestar trotted forward confidently, and with a wary look, Hawkmask followed too, dropping his mouse.

"Tanglestar, slow down, we can't just barge in there-" the warrior didn't have time to finish speaking. As they were about to enter the cave, a hiss echoed from inside, and deep growls followed. The two cats weren't alone.

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Please review I would definitely appreciate it!


	2. Chapter 2

"Duskpaw, are you sure we should be doing this?" A black and white cat hissed as they slipped through a gap in the bushes and ferns.

"Don't worry! No one will notice that we're even gone, and we can be back before sunrise!" A calico cat said as he squeezed through a tight spot in the prickly bush.

"Ok…" the reluctant apprentice trailed off, following his courageous brother.

After wiggling through the bushes, both apprentices stood in the moonlight, a faint breeze ruffling their fur. The leaves in the trees rustled slightly, creating a calming song in the dead of the night. The tall and raspy fern grasses swayed, and the cats began slinking along, low to the ground.

"Do we really have to go to the creek? Why can't we wait until morning?" Dapplepaw asked, his ears flicking nervously, afraid of getting caught.

"There's no point if we wait until morning! If the rumor is true, we have to go at night. It has to be dark in order to see the cats."

Dapplepaw shook his head. He didn't really want to see the mystical cats, but his brother dragged him into it. Besides, he couldn't just let Duskpaw go out in the dark on his own. There were foxes and badgers and who knows what else. Why would Dapplepaw let Duskpaw risk his life?

Stars glimmered above, and Dapplepaw followed his brother through the undergrowth. He hoped Duskpaw knew the way to the river without a mentor- the territory was huge and they were only small, inexperienced apprentices. What if they got lost?

"Can you tell how far we are?" Dapplepaw asked, whispering.

"We should almost be there. And why are you whispering? There's no need for that," Duskpaw replied, his voice breaking the uneasy silence coating the forest.

Dapplepaw remained silent, his tail twitching as he stared at the dark shapes of the bushes and tree trunks.

After walking through the forest for a few minutes in silence, Dapplepaw stopped and opened his mouth, scenting the air. "Do you smell that?" He asked.

"Smell what?" Duskpaw asked, looking over his shoulder at his brother. "You must be imagining it. I don't smell anything." With that, the calico tom trotted off into the bushes, leaving uncertainty in his brother's blue eyes.

"I have to protect him," Dapplepaw reminded himself, chasing after his brother.

The trees gave away, and the yucky, crowfood smell increased. It made Dapplepaw's stomach churn. Surely Duskpaw could smell it now-

"Ah! Help!"

Dapplepaw could barely make out the outline of his brother in the shadows. He was waving his tail about, squirming, trying to get free of _something_; Dapplepaw couldn't tell what.

He stepped closer and the ground gave in- no- his paw sunk into the ground! He tried to pull his paw out, but he felt wet slimy goo seeping into his fur on his other leg. He was trapped!

"Help! Someone, help!" He yowled along with his brother, whose belly was already touching the marshy ground. "Help! Please! We need help!"

Dapplepaw could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into the ground that smelled revolting. It burned his nostrils, and he could almost taste the wretched stuff because the scent was so strong. He caught the sight of his brother, who had stopped struggling.

"Don't move! You'll only sink faster that way!" He called.

Reluctantly, Dapplepaw tried what his brother suggested, and sure enough, it seemed to slow his sinking. "What are we going to do? We're going to be out here all night! By then, there won't be a trace of us!"

"Don't think like that, brother! We have to be strong! Think of what Smokesong would do!"

_Smokesong wouldn't get stuck out here in the first place, _Dapplepaw thought to himself, lowering his head in defeat.

Unexpectedly, Dapplepaw felt a tug on the fur in the back of his neck. He looked up, confused, and could see a silver cat out of the corner of his eye. "Who are-"

"Hush. We're here to get you out of the swamp."

Dapplepaw was slowly pulled out of the marsh, and dragged back on solid ground. He didn't see his brother; he must have already been pulled out or he had sunk… no. "Where's my brother?"

"I'm right here."

Dapplepaw turned his head and saw his brother laying on the ground a foxtail length away. Standing beside him was a… glowing white cat? He jerked his head around to see a similar cat standing behind him, also glowing. "What- who- who are you?" He stuttered, jumping to his feet and hissing.

"Don't be scared. Let us explain," the cat closest to Dapplepaw said, taking a step towards him. The apprentice couldn't help but notice the unsheathed claws. Did these cats truly want to help them, or were they going to kill them?

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Thanks for reading this chapter of _Cheating the Stars_! Please review, and keep an eye out for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

"Who are you?" Hawkmask hissed.

Two cats stepped out of the cave, their hackles raised.

"This isn't your territory," a large black tom threatened.

"Well it's not yours either," Tanglestar replied, puffing up her chest and standing tall.

The tom curled his lips back, and the cat standing beside him spoke up. "You're Tanglestar, aren't you? You smell like Leafclan."

"I am. Why are you here?" The leader asked, unfazed by the other warrior's rudeness.

"I could ask you the same thing," the black cat said before leaping into the air at Tanglestar.

The she-cat easily dodged the attack, and Hawkmask leapt onto of him, pinning him to the ground. Hawkmask leapt onto the tom's back and unsheathed his claws, letting them sink into the black pelt. The enemy yowled, and tried to roll onto his attacker. Hawkmask managed to jump out of the way before being squashed.

Tanglestar managed to avoid the fight, and glanced towards the entrance to the cave. The other cat had fled, leaving a trace of fear scent in the air. She took the opportunity to sneak into the cave while Hawkmask kept the tom busy.

Inside, it was pitch black, but Tanglestar's eyes adjusted quickly. The cave was large and spacious, and had a cool, moist feel to it. It reeked of the large brown creature, but Tanglestar knew it was safe. Stepping cautiously but quickly, she explored the cave, and discovered a pile of moss in one of the back corners. Her paws tingled, and she knew that what she was searching for was buried in the moss. She dug through the pile of moss with her front paws, and sitting cradled in its soft bed was a stone.

It wasn't just any stone. It glowed green, and pulsed slowly. It was smaller than Tanglestar's paw, and she could easily pick it up in her mouth if she had to.

Her paws prickled in excitement and thrill, and she reached out a paw to touch the sacred gem. However, before her paw was quite there…

"Tanglestar! Watch out!" Hawkmask's voice echoed through the cave, and the leader was just about to turn her head when…

_Thud!_

The cave wall smashed against Tanglestar's face, and a ringing erupted in her ears. She tried to pull herself to her feet, but a prickling on her neck made her stop in mid-motion.

"Don't move or I'll kill you."

Tanglestar could make out the shape of the tom's face from out of the corner of her eye. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, revealing yellowing teeth. A scar ran from his jaw to above his left eye. He had narrowed his eyes, and the tom's menacing amber eyes almost seemed to glow in the blackness.

Tanglestar went limp, and allowed the warrior to slip the gem out from under her. Then the warrior said, "I'm going to let you go. If you make a single move, my mate will kill your friend out there, and I'm sure you don't want that to happen."

The tom allowed Tanglestar to turn her head slightly in order to see Hawkmask. The black tom's friend had returned, and was pinning a badly wounded Hawkmask to the ground. He lay limp, staring into the cave, waiting for his leader's decision.

"Ok," Tanglestar decided. "I won't move."

"Good choice," the tom growled, quickly releasing his grip on Tanglestar's neck and picking up the gem then rushing from the cave. The cat's mate released Hawkmask and both disappeared into the night.

"Hawkmask, are you alright?" Tanglestar asked, jumping up and running over to the fallen warrior.

"I-I think so," he stuttered as he tried to sit up, flinching in pain.

"No, you're not," the leader decided. "Lay down and I'll see if I can find some comfrey to ease the pain. I'll be right back." With a flick of the tail, Tanglestar took off into the bushes, in search of an herb that would help her friend.

As she rooted around, using the faint moonlight to help her find small purple flowers, the leader reflected on what happened. There were other cats who knew what was going on, and they wanted the stone. However, Tanglestar felt a need for the stone even though she didn't know why. But she needed the stone above nothing else.

Tanglestar pushed through a crack in the bushes, and froze in mid-step. Lying on the ground before her was three of a brown creature's massive claws. The tips were pointed towards the cave. She knew right away why they were there- it was an omen from Starclan. They were trying to tell her something, but Tanglestar failed to understand. Would her lack of knowledge lead her to danger? She didn't want to wait and find out. The clan leader needed to know what Starclan was trying to tell her.

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Please review! I would appreciate the advice and comments, if you have any. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

"Frostpelt, stop, you're scaring the apprentices," one of the cats meowed, flicking his tail in annoyance.

"Oh. Right. Sorry," Frostpelt said, sheathing his claws and taking a couple of paw steps back.

"Who…" Dapplepaw trailed off, shaking like a leaf.

"Sorry," the cat further away said, "I'm Moonwind, and my friend is Frostpelt." Both cats dipped their heads in greeting.

"Why are you glowing?" Duskpaw asked bravely, standing up and shaking the swamp remains off of his pelt.

"Glowing? Oh, yes, that's a bit of a complicated matter, hm?" Moonwind explained, choosing his words carefully.

"Ok… then what are you?" Duskpaw mewed, his curiosity getting better of him.

Frostpelt laughed, as if suddenly amused. "Now isn't the best time to answer that, 'paws. You need to get back to camp, and we'll visit you sometime and explain."

Duskpaw looked skeptical. Dapplepaw wasn't however; he was just ready to get out of there. "Come on brother, let's go," Dapplepaw urged.

"No," he answered, standing his ground. "I'm not leaving without answers."

"Duskpaw," the black and white apprentice pleaded, "Please. We have border patrol in the morning and battle training in the afternoon. We need to sleep."

Duskpaw didn't look at his brother. He stared like a statue at Frostpelt and Moonwind, demanding answers without speaking a word.

"If it satisfies you to know, you found what you came looking for," Frostpelt said, stepping back and allowing the apprentices to leave. "That's the only answer you're getting tonight. Now leave."

Dapplepaw took a step forward, and with one defiant glance at the strange cats, Duskpaw followed.

"Can you find your way back to camp?" Moonwind asked as the apprentices began pushing their way through a bush.

"Yeah," Duskpaw hissed before Dapplepaw could say otherwise. "Come on brother, let's get out of here." Without a look over his shoulder, he pushed Dapplepaw forward, and they disappeared into the undergrowth.

After walking for a few silent minutes, Dapplepaw spoke up. "Are you sure we can find the way back to camp? We've never been near this area before."

"Yes," Duskpaw snapped, "We're fine." His voice softened. "I think I know who those cats are."

"I'm all ears," the bicolored cat said, leaping over a fallen log.

"The river cats. You know, the ones we came out here to see? I bet that's who they are."

Dapplepaw paused, and his brother bounded up beside him.

"Are you sure? The river cats are only supposed to be a… story." Dapplepaw wasn't sure he believed in what he said. The cats looked mystical, and they were in the swamp, close to the river. What if the cats they had come searching for were real?

"How do you explain what we saw? Those cats were glowing! They have to be river cats!" Duskpaw exclaimed.

Dapplepaw nodded absent mindedly, and then scented the air. "We have to be quiet; we're almost back to camp."

Duskpaw didn't respond, and the two brothers trudged through the undergrowth. When they reached the almost non-existent hole in the camp wall, they slipped in and curled up without a single word. Dapplepaw couldn't help but fall asleep with images of the river cats dancing through his head, teasing him about their true identity. Duskpaw fell asleep formulating a plan for seeing the river cats again. No matter what, they were going to see the river cats again.

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Sorry for taking so long to update! I hope you like this chapter, and please review! I will welcome any constructive criticism that you have to offer. Thank you to those you already reviewed!


	5. Chapter 5

Blood dripped from Tanglestar's neck.

"Hawkmask, I can see the river," she commented, pausing so the warrior could catch his breath.

"Good," he panted, leaning on the clan leader. "Maybe that will help."

Tanglestar knew the tom was tired and his strength was seeping away, but they had to keep moving. Hawkmask needed Silvermoon- the medicine cat- to help him, but Tanglestar wasn't going to leave her friend to get help. He was too far gone, and Tanglestar wasn't going to risk leaving him alone.

Tanglestar peered through the trees, and could see the shimmering creek dead ahead. The sandy shore looked like a welcoming place to rest. "Come on, if you can make it to the shore I'll find you a mouse," she encouraged the warrior.

"But I'm not-"

Tanglestar didn't wait for Hawkmask to finish. She started walking on the worn dirt path, forcing the warrior to hobble along beside her, partly leaning on her flank. Within a couple of steps they reached the shore, and Hawkmask collapsed. His sides heaved, and dried blood glistened in the moonlight.

"I'll be right back," Tanglestar meowed, reluctantly disappearing into the forest.

After searching for a couple of minutes, she caught scent of a mouse. It was hiding near a tree root. Tanglestar crept forward, and within the blink of an eye, the mouse was dead and hanging from the she-cat's jaws.

Tanglestar began heading back to the creek, listening as the wind ruffled the leaves on the bushes. She smelled the air, and picked up the scent of another cat, not Hawkmask. It was Smokesong, an experienced warrior who got into more trouble than he was worth.

The clan leader jogged back to the creek, and found the tom tending to his wounded friend.

"Dawnfur is getting some herbs, and you'll be fine in a minute," the gray cat meowed, licking Hawkmask's wounds.

"Smokesong, what are you doing here?"

The gray cat looked up, and when he realized it was Tanglestar, he stood up straight and demanded, "What happened?"

"It's a long story. Dawnfur is here too?"

Smokesong nodded, and flicked his tail to the other side of the creek. "She's getting Silvermoon. They should be here soon."

Almost as the gray tom said it, two she-cats burst out of the bushes and trotted through the creek, stopping once reunited with the rest of the group. Tanglestar stepped back, knowing Hawkmask was in good paws, and that there wasn't much that she could do.

She dropped the mouse at her paws, and watched as Silvermoon lathered chewed up herbs into Hawkmask's wounds. The warrior flinched, but didn't complain like a kit would. He was always strong, and worked hard. Too bad there weren't more apprentices, or else she would assign him one. They could learn a lot.

Tanglestar watched as Hawkmask was tended to, and she let her gaze travel to the creek. The water was shallow where they were, but at some points along it the water was deep enough for cats to swim across.

"Ok Hawkmask, can you walk back to camp now?"

Tanglestar turned her attention back to the cats. Dawnfur and Silvermoon were standing side by side, a contrast from the solid brown pelt to the silver and black one. Hawkmask was now sitting up, and Smokesong was standing beside him, protective.

"Can I get a drink first?" Hawkmask asked, pulling himself to his feet.

"Of course," Silvermoon answered.

The group traveled to the creek, only a foxlength away. Tanglestar stood back, watching. She was proud of her clan members, their team work, and their loyalty. She felt like she had actually accomplished something as a clan leader.

As soon as Hawkmask finished licking up enough water, they crossed the river and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. Tanglestar trailed behind, carrying the forgotten mouse in her jaws. Somehow she had also been forgotten, but that didn't matter. As long as her clan was safe, it was ok if she got left behind.

The camp was alive. Kits played and squealed outside of the nursery. The elders were laying outside of their days, remembering the long gone days. Warriors were tucked away in corners of the camp sharing tongues and talking as they ate fresh kill. Tanglestar sat just inside her den, watching as life went on.

Across the clearing was the medicine den, where she knew Hawkmask and Silvermoon were. She considered going over and seeing how the warrior was doing, but thought against it. Silvermoon had shooed her out twice already, saying that Hawkmask just needed some rest. Even so, Tanglestar couldn't help but worry.

"Tanglestar. Something on your mind?" A brown cat speckled with gray leopard spots waltzed up, sitting outside of the low hanging branches of the leader's den.

"No Mosspelt, I'm fine." Her deputy and sister, Mosspelt was always in tune with Tanglestar's feelings.

"You're worried about Hawkmask," Mosspelt stated.

"So?" Tanglestar asked quickly. "There's nothing wrong with that," she said defensively.

"I never said there was," Mosspelt replied, getting up and heading for the warriors den.

Tanglestar shook her head; her sister could be so mysterious sometimes.

"Tanglestar! Tanglestar!"

The clan leader turned her head to see one of the apprentices bounding towards her, huffing and puffing. "What is it?"

"Border… Mountainclan…warning… important."

"Lead the way."

The calico apprentice took off running for the entrance of camp, and the Leafclan leader was on his tail.

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Thank you for taking the time to read chapter 5! Please review with comments and advice if you have any! I welcome constructive criticism!


	6. Chapter 6

The bushes tore at his pelt, but he didn't feel a thing. Mountainclan territory was far from Leafclan camp, and the two cats had to get back to the border fast.

Dapplepaw saw the large boulder ahead, and knew they weren't far. He managed to increase his speed by a small amount, and he felt Tanglestar behind him. Feeling her there gave him the strength to keep going; to not give up.

They ran for a minute more, and at last reached the border. Standing there was a brown tabby, a light gray she-cat, and Duskpaw. Standing with the Leafclan warriors was a large black tom that reeked of Mountainclan.

"What's going on?" Tanglestar asked, coming to a stop in front of the group.

"This warrior has something to say," Willowmist meowed, nodding towards the tom.

Dapplepaw and Duskpaw retreated to the edge of the group, and Dapplepaw did his best to not collapse from exhaustion. Now that he wasn't running he could feel how raw his paws _really_ were.

"I'm Shadowtail. Skystar sent me here with a message."

"Well then, what is it? Why is it so urgent?"

"He had… a message from Starclan. Something is going to happen tonight. It will light up the night sky… that's all I know. Skystar wants your clan to be safe. That's it."

Tanglestar didn't answer right away. She pawed at the ground, thinking.

"What's she doing?" Dapplepaw whispered to his brother.

"I don't know!" He hissed.

"Thank you for the warning. Give Skystar my thanks."

"I will." With that, Shadowtail crossed the border back into his own territory, and he could be seen as he trotted off into the trees.

"Continue the border patrol. Feel free to hunt on the way back, but be at camp by sunhigh," Tanglestar ordered, stepping back and looking at the two warriors.

"Yes, we will," Timberear answered, dipping his head.

Tanglestar darted back into the bushes, heading for camp.

"Come on, let's go," Timberear instructed, flicking his tail, ordering the cats to follow him.

The apprentices trailed behind, watching as the two warriors marked trees.

"What do you think he meant by it will light up the night sky?" Duskpaw asked, his voice low.

"I don't know, but I guess we'll find out tonight."


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! ** **Reading your reviews gives me determination to write the next chapter, so here you are!**

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Something was going to light up the night sky. Why had Tanglestar not received a message from Starclan? How did Skystar even know that she hadn't gotten a message? Questions swarmed the cat's mind as she dived through the undergrowth, heading back to camp.

"Tanglestar!"

The leader froze in mid step, and turned her head to see Smokesong bounding along after her.

"What is it?"

"I need to speak to you."

"Go ahead," Tanglestar encouraged, sitting down, showing she was ready to listen.

"It's about what you were doing last night," Smokesong said, flicking his ears back and forth while twitching his tail.

Noticing the warrior's odd behavior, Tanglestar answered the question with a question. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Yes," Smokesong shook his head, as if clearing his mind. Then he looked back at the she-cat and continued. "I've had a weird feeling all morning… I can't explain it. It's like something is building up inside of me- well, not so much inside of me, but around me. Something is wrong, it's just not right."

Smokesong never had so much trouble explaining something. Tanglestar knew something was wrong.

"When did this feeling start?" She asked.

"When I woke up. No, actually…" the gray cat stared at the dirt. "It began last night. When Dawnfur and I found Hawkmask."

The stone. Tanglestar knew it was the stone. She had felt it too, and she could tell the stone was the source of it. The question was, should she tell Smokesong?

Tanglestar knew Hawkmask was a loyal warrior, and that was the reason she had brought him with her the night before. She knew he wouldn't tell any other warrior, except maybe Smokesong, his best friend.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

The gray tom nodded.

"A stone. It's the reason Hawkmask got hurt last night."

Smokesong coiled back in disbelief. "A stone? Are you serious?"

The tabby she-cat nodded slowly. "Yes. I'll explain it later. For now we should go back to camp." Tanglestar trotted away through the undergrowth, and seeing no point in arguing, Smokesong followed.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here before the Meeting Tree!"

The morning patrol had returned and brought prey with them. A hunting party had also left after Tanglestar arrived at camp. They had also returned long before sunhigh, bearing prey.

"I have received a disturbing message," she began. Cats perked their ears, and mumbles rippled through the clan. "Tonight, something will light up the night sky. I don't know what it is, or why, but I have received a message that it will happen. Because I don't know what it is, no cat is to leave the camp from now until tomorrow morning. I want the dens reinforced to make sure no cat gets hurt in case this threatens our camp. Who will volunteer?"

"I will," Rosefeather, a she-cat that always hung out with the tom cats answered.

"Me too," Willowmist decided.

"Thank you," Tanglestar meowed, bowing her head. "I need two more cats."

Timberear, a brown tabby, stepped forward. "I'll help."

Following the tom's lead, Dawnfur spoke up. "I'll help too."

Tanglestar nodded. "Alright. I appreciate your dedication to this clan. The meeting is over."

The four warriors who volunteered to help bounded off towards the nursery and the elders den. The remaining cats wandered back to the warriors den, or decided to munch on a piece of fresh kill. Taking one last look around camp, Tanglestar scrambled down the tree trunk and landed on the ground with a thud, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Tanglestar looked up to see her sister standing a tail length away, flicking her tail and scowling.

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me about the message! I am deputy, after all, I deserve to know."

"I'm sorry Mosspelt, I've been… preoccupied." The leader glanced at the ground, guilt flooding her mind. Why didn't she think about telling her sister?

"Whatever," the she-cat hissed. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Should she tell Mosspelt about the stone? If Tanglestar did, Mosspelt would only worry. She would only get in her way and stop her from getting the stone. Her sister didn't need to know. "No. There's nothing else."

"Good." With that, the spotted tabby stalked off across the clearing, and Tanglestar slipped into her den, hoping she had made the right choice.

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**Please review, and thank you for taking time to read this chapter! Also, it might be a while before I post another chapter, so I'm sorry ahead of time if it takes a while!**


	8. Chapter 8

"I guess we won't be doing any training this afternoon," Duskpaw said, disappointed.

Dapplepaw turned to look at his brother in shock. "That's all you can think about? Don't you care that something is going to happen tonight?"

"Well yeah, I guess so," Duskpaw said, turning away and stalking off towards the apprentices den.

"You guess?" Dapplepaw meowed after him, unable to move his paws. "You guess?!"

"Dapplepaw!"

The black and white cat managed to drag his eyes away from Duskpaw, and saw a cat bounding towards him. "What is it, Robinpaw?"

Robinpaw was Duskpaw and Dapplepaw's brother. Instead of training as a warrior, Robinpaw decided to train as a medicine cat. He was actually pretty good at it.

"Sorry we didn't talk sooner, Silvermoon wouldn't let me leave! I had to take care of Hawkmask all on my own. Do you know what happened to him? He's torn up pretty bad."

Dapplepaw shook his head. "No, I didn't even know he was hurt. Is it fighting wounds?" The apprentices wandered to the side of the camp as they talked, trying to stay out of the way of other cats.

"It is fighting wounds, but whenever I ask Hawkmask about it he won't tell me anything! I can't get a word out of that stubborn tom." Robinpaw flicked his tail, narrowing his eyes as he looked across the clearing at the medicine den.

"At least he's loyal," Dapplepaw said, before changing the subject. "I wonder what's going to happen tonight. Do you have any clue? All I know is that Skystar had to send a warrior to tell Tanglestar about the message."

"What?" Robinpaw looked at his brother in shock. "Tanglestar didn't get a message from Starclan?"

"Uh…" Dapplepaw trailed off. Should he have said that? He didn't want the rumor to spread around camp, because who knew what grief that could cause Tanglestar. But the leader never told the border patrol to _not_ tell anyone. Still… "Yeah. But you can't tell anyone. I probably shouldn't have said anything…"

"Ok." Robinpaw nudged his brother. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," Dapplepaw purred. "At least I can trust you."

"No problem. You should go get some rest, you look tired."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," the tom said, getting to his paws and yawning. "Talk to you later?"

"Of course. I should go now, Silvermoon probably needs me." With that, the tortoiseshell tom dashed off towards the medicine den.

Dapplepaw watched, then turned away and padded towards the apprentices den. He figured he would find Duskpaw inside sleeping, but when he stepped inside, his brother was nowhere to be seen. Dapplepaw figured he was somewhere else in camp, but as he curled up on his bed of moss, he noticed the hole in the brambles was slightly bigger than it had been last night. That could only mean one thing. Dapplepaw wasn't about to let his brother get hurt, even if both of them ended up getting in trouble.

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**Thank you for reading chapter 8 in Cheating the Stars! I'll try to update at least once a week, most likely on the weekend. Please review, I would appreciate advice or suggestions or even just plain comments! Once again, thank you for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

Her paws couldn't stop moving. They had to be in motion- pacing, walking, doing _something_. Her paws tingled. She couldn't sleep.

Night was setting. The stars were coming out, and the warm air had cooled. Wind rustled the tree branches, and Tanglestar shivered. An eerie feeling was settling on the forest, there was no doubt. As Tanglestar fidgeted in the entrance to her den, she realized the clan could feel it too. The kits weren't out playing, and the usual chatter wasn't drifting across camp. Almost all cats were in their den, but not sleeping. They were waiting.

Tanglestar jumped up, and padded across the clearing to the medicine den. She hadn't seen Hawkmask all day, and was eager to see how he was doing.

"Hawkmask?" Tanglestar asked, stepping into the dark den.

"Hello. Hawkmask is asleep-"

"No I'm not!"

The leader peered around Silvermoon and saw the proud warrior lying on a bed of moss, watching her with eager eyes. The blood had been washed off of his pelt, and there was a large gash on his side covered with cobwebs.

"You're supposed to be asleep," the medicine cat mewed with a sour tone, flicking her tail as she watched Hawkmask.

"So?" Hawkmask ignored Silvermoon. "I heard something is going to happen tonight. Do you know what it is?"

Tanglestar shook her head. "No. Could you leave for a minute?" She said, turning to Silvermoon.

Scowling, the she-cat sighed. "Fine. But be quick." With that, the medicine cat trudged out of the den.

Right away Hawkmask asked, "Does it have to do with the stone?"

"I think so. I need that stone. Were those Mountainclan warriors last night?"

Hawkmask was quiet. He changed his position so he was lying on his side then said, "No. The tom was an outsider. I didn't recognize his smell. But the she-cat, I think I've seen her before at a gathering."

"From what clan?"

"I don't know."

"Tanglestar! Hurry up!" Silvermoon's voice drifted inside the den.

"Bye," the leader whispered, bowing her head and leaving the cozy, bramble-woven medicine den.

As Tanglestar padded softly back to her den, she couldn't stop thinking about the stone. She needed it, but it would be impossible to get if an outsider had it. But the tom's mate- Hawkmask said he'd seen her before. An outsider and clan cat?

Just outside of her den, Tanglestar paused. She glanced around the camp, watching each of the dens closely. Satisfied, she slunk towards the entrance, keeping in the shadows. Hopefully no one would need her while she was away, or she'd be in an abyss of trouble.

Outside of camp, all was calm. Too calm. Tanglestar twitched her tail and flicked her ears, listening for the sound of birds, or even an owl, but there was none. The only sounds were a few crickets chirping, the breeze rustling in the leaves, and her legs brushing against the bushes. Maybe Tanglestar should have brought Smokesong just in case…no. It wasn't worth the risk.

She heard the creek up ahead, and started into a trot. If she was going to make it to Falling Cliff soon, walking wouldn't cut it.

Tanglestar could just see Falling Cliff through the trees when she picked up a strange scent. It smelled like another cat, but not any cat she knew. Perhaps it was the black tom from the night before? The she-cat continued through the bushes, stopping to cautiously smell the air every few steps. As she continued, the scent didn't fade, but it didn't grow either. Tanglestar figured that wasn't a good thing.

After a couple fox lengths she broke through the bushes and was standing at the foot of Falling Cliff. She could see the outline of shattered boulders and feel the loose rocks under her feet. She headed for the hidden trail up the side of the cliff.

"Almost there," she muttered, scrambling up the thin path. "And…" In one giant leap Tanglestar had scrambled up a ledge, and had reached the top. As she looked across the flat rock she saw another figure… but before she could make out any details, a bright light blinded her and the ground beneath her paws dropped away, sending her plummeting towards the forest floor.

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**Please review with suggestions or comments, and thank you very much to those who have already reviewed and followed! I will hopefully post the next chapter in a week, so keep an eye out!**


	10. Chapter 10

Dapplepaw pushed through the undergrowth, inhaling deeply, trying to catch the scent of his brother. He'd lost Duskpaw's trail almost as soon as he'd left camp but he knew where to go even without his brother's scent leading him. Duskpaw had to be by the river; he was too curious to let the strange cats go without a fight.

After traveling through the forest for a few minutes, Dapplepaw picked up a familiar scent. It wasn't his brother's scent, but a whiff of the marsh from the night before.

Attentive about where he was placing his paws, he slowed down and became more alert of every sound- his brother must be near.

"…what's going to happen?"

"I can't tell… leave!"

Dapplepaw strained to hear the words drifting through the dark forest. One of the voices was Duskpaw's, and the other must have been one of the river cats from the night before.

Pushing through the bushes, Dapplepaw arrived at a small clearing where Duskpaw and a faintly glowing Frostpelt stood arguing.

"I'm not going to leave until you tell me what is going to happen tonight!" Duskpaw hissed.

"I can't tell you! You wouldn't understand! But if you stay out here any longer the chance of you getting hurt becomes greater and greater!"

"Then I'll get hurt." Duskpaw answered, sitting down and staring at the other cat, challenging him.

Before Frostpelt could protest, Dapplepaw stepped forward and spoke.

"Something is going to light up the night sky. What is it?"

Frostpelt's head snapped towards the apprentice, and then he shook his head in disgust. "It's a stone. That's what's going to light up the sky. You happy?"

"A stone?!" Duskpaw meowed, jumping to his paws. "It was a stone that you wouldn't tell me about?!"

"It's not so much a stone, but a rock. I would explain it, but you two are just apprentices so you wouldn't understand-"

Before Frostpelt could finish his sentence, a brilliant light surrounded the cats, searing their eyes and blinding them to the world around them.

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**Sorry it's a short chapter, I haven't had much time to write. Thank you for reading, please review! Reviews are one of the things that keep me writing, and thank you to those you already have!**


	11. Chapter 11

Tanglestar pried open her eyes. Her head throbbed, and she tried to sit up. Pain rocketed through her side, making her gasp in surprise. _What happened?_ She wondered as she glanced around the dark forest.

A pile of rocks and boulders sat a foxlength away, some cracked in half from the impact. The impact.

Tanglestar remembered. The light; the ground shaking. Falling.

The leader pulled herself onto her feet, her legs trembling. She craned her neck around to see her side, but pain wracked her neck, and she was forced to straighten her neck.

"Maybe not," the tabby muttered to herself. Then she glanced upwards, at the top of Falling Cliff. She needed to get up there. From there she could see what happened.

Tentatively, Tanglestar tried taking a step. It didn't hurt too badly, so she took another. Overall she assessed, she only had a few scratches and a couple of bloody gashes. She would survive, but it would require a trip to Silvermoon when she returned to camp.

The clan.

Had they felt the earth shake as well? Had they seen the bright light? Tanglestar knew she should go straight back to camp and see how the clan was doing, but she needed to know what had caused the light.

Slowly, Tanglestar limped towards the path up Falling Cliff. Loose rocks poked the pads her feet, but she continued.

Considering how a giant part of the cliff had crumpled to the ground in the form of boulders, the path was still in good shape. It was still intact, for one thing, and no boulders had fallen on it, preventing travel. Tanglestar considered herself lucky.

After a long energy-draining walk up the cliff, Tanglestar reached the top. Moonlight shone down, illuminating the rock and darkening the new gap a few tail-lengths away.

Ignoring that, Tanglestar looked out across the forest. The tree- tops still blocked most of the view, but she could barely see the river at the edge of their territory. Whatever had happened, she couldn't see anything that had suggested the bright light had even occurred. But Tanglestar knew there was something out there, she just didn't know _what. _

The soft morning light flooded the camp clearing. A lump of shadows sat in the middle of the clearing, day old kill waiting to be eaten. With a look over her shoulder at the sleeping figure of Silvermoon, Tanglestar stepped out into the clearing. She ached, and a couple of scratches she acquired from the night before burned. But she pursed onwards towards the fresh-kill pile anyways.

"Hey. What happened last night?"

Tanglestar turned her head to see Hawkmask had followed her out of the den. If she could get away with leaving, he could too.

"Falling Cliff. Some of the rocks gave out and I fell. It's a miracle I wasn't hurt worse."

"Would this have happened during the bright light?"

Tanglestar nodded, and picked up a mouse in her mouth.

Hawkmask padded up beside her and grabbed a squirrel. "Why were you at Falling Cliff anyways?" the tom meowed, his voice muffled by the furry red animal held in his mouth.

"It had to do with the stone. I'm sure of it."

Hawkmask nodded, watching Tanglestar out of the corner of his eye. The leader tried to ignore his looks, but eventually she paused from chewing the mouse meat to stare at the warrior head on. "What?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"Huh?" Hawkmask swallowed a bite of squirrel. "What are you talking about?"

"The way you're looking at me. What is it?"

"Oh. Nothing." With that, the warrior finished his kill and headed back to the medicine den, limping due to the injuries from the cave.

"Fine," Tanglestar muttered, redirecting her gaze to the warrior's den as Smokesong stepped out.

The cats dashed through the forest, a blur among the trees. Despite her minor injuries, Tanglestar felt fresh and free and the cold dew on the grass was welcoming to her paws.

"Don't get left behind, Rosefeather," Tanglestar teased.

"Not a chance," the she-cat answered.

The cats were heading for the territory near Falling Cliff. It was the second time in two days that Tanglestar had gone on a border patrol, which was a lot more than she normally did. She had forgotten how much she had enjoyed running through the forest with her fellow warriors by her side. Maybe she'd have to get out of camp more often.

"Wait! Everyone stop!" Tanglestar slid to a halt, and so did the three cats beside her.

"What is it?" Rosefeather asked in a quizzical tone. "Is something wrong?"

"I saw something. It looked like…" The tabby ventured around a tree, and pushed through a bush. There she stopped, her eyes wide, unbelieving of what she was seeing.

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**Thank you to those who have reviewed, I appreciate it! Sorry about getting this chapter up a little late, I had a busy weekend. I hope you enjoy!**


	12. Chapter 12

"What…what happened?" Dapplepaw asked, shaking his head, trying to get the dots to disappear from his vision.

The river cat was standing a short distance away, watching the apprentices, his face emotionless. Dapplepaw looked over beside him to see Duskpaw, a confused look on his face.

"What just happened, Frostpelt?" Dapplepaw asked, taking a wobbly step forward. "Was that what was going to happen? We didn't get hurt, like you said we would."

Frostpelt flicked his tail and replied, his eyes narrowed, "So you didn't get hurt. But it is still dangerous."

Duskpaw had apparently recovered, and standing up he asked, "So what was it?"

After a long silence, Frostpelt turned towards the trees and motioned for the apprentices to follow. Hesitantly, they stepped forward and followed the glowing cat.

The cats traveled through the trees and soon reached the river. It was shimmering in the moonlight and the bottom could be seen, fox lengths down.

Frostpelt sat down in the grass at the very edge, staring into the water. Duskpaw sat down beside him, and Dapplepaw noticed his tail twitching. Duskpaw was just being brave, Dapplepaw knew. Being more cautious, Dapplepaw settled himself a tail-length away, and waited for the white cat to begin talking.

"Our clan- the ancient WaterClan- lives underwater. We can only come out at night. It's a curse that was put on us by StarClan. Actually, I don't think they realized it was a curse. We live forever- we're supposed to keep an eye on the living cats. But we can't have kits and there are no elders- it's torture. But tonight- do you know what that was? It is what's going to save us. It was a stone that fell from the sky. A sign. We need to collect pieces of that stone. Will you help us? It will free us. Our purpose has been served- we're ready to go back to StarClan."

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**Sorry I didn't update last week, I was really busy. Anyways, thank you for reading, and thank you for those of you who have already reviewed! I appreciate it very much!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Tanglestar, what is it?"

Tanglestar stepped back, staring at the faintly pulsing piece of rock. She could feel Rosefeather peering over her shoulder as she yelped,

"What is that?"

"Let's go back to camp," the tabby leader said, turning away. "Now."

The patrol scurried away, Rosefeather being the only one who had seen the stone.

Tanglestar was laying in her den when Hawkmask meowed from outside,

"Can I come in?"

"Yes."

The warrior pushed through the low-hanging tree branches and sat down just inside the den. "I can sleep in the warriors den now," he said.

"Good," Tanglestar replied. "I hope the other warriors didn't take your spot," she added, licking her paw.

Hawkmask didn't respond. After a minute he spoke up. "What happened last night?"

"It was because of the stone. I'm sure of it! There was a broken piece of stone near Falling Cliff. There must be more pieces."

Hawkmask nodded, and then rose to his feet. "I'd better go."

Tanglestar watched as he left the den. She would need to talk to Hawkmask more, but not now. He could sleep in the warriors den again before she asked for his help.

The clan leader curled up in a ball, tucking her head close to her body. She ached, and even though she had slept soundly after she got back from Falling Cliff, she was still exhausted. Her mind drifted away, and sleep came to claim her.

"Tanglestar…Tanglestar…"

The she-cat raised her head and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. A soft breeze rustled her fur, and she found she was no longer in her den but under a canopy of trees.

"StarClan?" she murmured, rising to her paws and stretching, "It has to be."

The grass was as soft as a cloud, and it spread across the forest floor like a blanket. Trees that seemed to go on forever rose up around her, and in the distance Tanglestar heard a creek, the water rushing over the rocks.

Tanglestar began wandering through the trees, admiring the landscape. She sniffed the air, and picked up a strong scent of mouse. Instinctively, she swiveled her ears, trying to pick up sounds of a mouse scurrying on the forest floor.

"You looking for this?"

Tanglestar spun around to see a calico she-cat watching her, holding a mouse in her mouth.

"Rainfur?"

The cat nodded, and then dropped the mouse, "you look like you're doing well."

"Yes. Everything is going well. Bushclan is thriving."

"Good," Rainfur sat down, wrapping her tail around her legs.

Sensing something important coming, Tanglestar mimicked her old friend. It wasn't long before the calico cat began speaking.

"You can't leave your clan."

Tanglestar reeled back as if Rainfur had swiped a paw at her. "Leave my clan? I wouldn't!" Even as she said it, Tanglestar wasn't sure. If she was going to get the pieces of stone…

"Are you sure, Tanglestar? Or are you just saying that? We've been watching you- we know what you're doing. Forget about the stone and protect your clan," Rainfur snarled, rising to her feet with her hackles raised. "Don't go after the stone."

Her paws tingled, and she could feel her heart racing. StarClan knew about the stone, and they wanted her to stay away. Tanglestar knew what she had to do. She had to find the pieces of the stone- even if it meant cheating the stars.

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**Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, thank you for those who reviewed last time, I really appreciate it. **


	14. Chapter 14

"Was last night real? Did Frostpelt actually ask us to help him?"

"Shh!" Duskpaw hissed. "If anyone hears us we could get in huge trouble!"

"I know," Dapplepaw sighed, "Ready to go eat?"

"Yeah," Duskpaw mewed, stepping out of the den and into the sunlight.

Dapplepaw followed, and noticed that the camp was unusually empty. Even though LeafClan was small, there were always a few cats in the clearing. Today, that wasn't the case.

"Why is the camp so empty?" Dapplepaw whispered, peering around at the dens.

"I don't have an answer!" Duskpaw mewed, stalking towards the fresh-kill pile.

"But…"

"Quit whispering!" The apprentice ordered before grabbing a plump mouse.

Dapplepaw didn't respond, instead he grabbed a small sparrow and the two cats headed towards the usual dip in the ground in front of the apprentice's den and settled in.

The cats began eating, and in the eerie silence neither of them felt like talking. Even Duskpaw felt it, though he wouldn't admit it.

After both apprentices were finished eating and were lounging in the sun, they pricked their ears towards a faint mewling.

Two kits tumbled out of the nursery, swatting at each other and hissing.

Dapplepaw purred softly, remembering when his brothers used to do that. Unfortunately, life wasn't that care free anymore.

"Duskpaw, Dapplepaw. Are you ready to go hunting?"

Dawnfur was standing outside the warriors den, her brown pelt glistening in the morning sun.

"Yeah!" Duskpaw answered, jumping to his paws.

"Good, let's go," Dawnfur headed for the camp entrance with the two apprentices following.

"Today you're going to hunt along the FireClan border and near the river. Because it's marshy, there won't be many rabbits or mice. There will be birds, fish, and maybe frogs. This tests your skills as a hunter. Any questions?"

Duskpaw and Dapplepaw looked at eachother. The marshes- that was near where they met the river cats!

"No… no questions," Dapplepaw mumbled.

"Let's go."

The cats began their trek to the FireClan border.

Dawnfur had let the apprentices hunt on their own, but they knew they weren't alone. The warrior was watching them, hidden in the tall grass, disguised by the reek of the marsh.

"Should we split up?" Dapplepaw asked.

"No. We've never hunted here before, and we will catch more prey if we work together."

"Ok."

As the cats continued walking, their paws began sinking into the ground.

"I hate this," Dapplepaw muttered feeling water sink into the fur between his toes.

"Shh!" Duskpaw pricked his ears, watching the leafless tree swaying above them.

"What?"

"A bird! It's hopping along the low branches," the tom explained, his voice hushed.

Dapplepaw's eyes searched the tree, and at last he saw what his brother had spotted. It was a small bird, different shades of brown except for a stripe of red running down its wings. It would be perfect for the fresh kill pile, its plump body feeding Moontail and her kits, or maybe the elders.

When Dapplepaw dragged his eyes off of the potential prey, he realized Duskpaw had vanished.

"Oh no," he breathed, swiveling his ears, trying to find his brother somewhere in the grass.

"Duskpaw," he tried hissing, "Where are you?"

Dapplepaw caught sight of movement up ahead. Peering through the grass, he realized it was a white tail, flicking back and forth. Duskpaw was going to catch the bird!

Dapplepaw watched as the bird continued to hop on the branch, unaware. Any second now Duskpaw would pounce, and there would be one more piece of fresh kill on the pile. Any time now…

The bird kept hopping along the branch. Dapplepaw lost sight of his brother's tail.

A breeze wove through the branches, and ruffled Dapplepaw's fur. He sniffed the air, and a strange scent caught his attention. It smelled like another cat, but not a LeafClan cat. It was a FireClan scent! Was a FireClan warrior patrolling the border?

"Good job Duskpaw that was great timing!"

Dapplepaw looked back to the tree and instead of a bird sitting on the branch Duskpaw was sitting on the branch, holding the kill in his mouth!

"What-wh-" Dapplepaw stuttered, anger flooding through him. How could he miss that? If he had been paying attention and decided to go for it, he could have been the one who caught the bird!

"It's your turn to catch something, Dapplepaw. I have high expectations now, thanks to your brother."

He spotted Dawnfur through the grass and nodded, "Right. " Dapplepaw tried not to set his jaw in frustration. Thanks to his show-off brother, there was no time for mistakes.

"Why do you always make me look bad?" Dapplepaw complained, "I only caught two lousy birds and you went and caught all sorts of stuff!"

"Sorry I'm too good for you," Duskpaw replied, "but we were so close to where we saw the river cats. Do you realize how much trouble we would be in if Dawnfur picked up our scents from last night?"

Dapplepaw sighed and nodded as he pushed his way into the apprentices den. His brother was right- if they hunted over there again they would have to be cautious.

The apprentices curled up in their moss beds and soon both were fast asleep even though it was barely past sunhigh.

Shadows covered the camp, hiding the dens and the cats sleeping within them.

"All clear," Dapplepaw whispered, stepping back inside the den.

"Good. Ready?" Duskpaw asked, standing next to a weak spot in the den wall.

"Yeah."

Duskpaw pushed through the branches of the den and Dapplepaw was on his tail. Both stood on the other side, breathing in the fresh air and smelling the scents of the forest that were blocked out in camp.

"Lead the way," Dapplepaw offered, letting his brother take the lead. As the two cats were about to disappear into the night…

"Apprentices! Stop!"

They looked over their shoulders to find Timberear sprinting through the grass towards them. The two younger cats exchanged a fearful glance before the warrior pulled up in front of them.

Timberear wasn't the fiercest warrior, but when he wanted to look scary, he could. Half of his face covered in the pale moonlight, and the other half in shadows. He was standing tall, and his tail flicked lazily back and forth. "Where do you two think you're going?"

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**Thank you for reading, and thank you to those you have reviewed. What do you think of ****Cheating the Stars****? Is there anything you don't like about it, or is there something you think could be improved? I'd like to hear your opinion, because I've been thinking of stopping this story and starting a different one... but I won't if you guys want me to keep writing it!**


	15. Chapter 15

"Tanglestar?"

"Yes?"

Mosspelt stepped inside the leader's den, her eyes angry slits and her tail twitching.

"What's wrong?" Tanglestar asked, sitting up.

"The two apprentices were caught sneaking out of camp last night. Timberear was on patrol and found them. Should we make them clean out the elders den or just give them a talk?"

Tanglestar shook her head, "I'll let you decide."

Mosspelt bowed her head.

"Did you assign any patrols for this morning?" Tanglestar knew Mosspelt prided herself on being organized and always one step ahead. It was one of the reasons Tanglestar chose her sister as deputy.

"Yes, I sent a border patrol early this morning and they have returned. I also sent out a hunting patrol near the MountainClan border. They should return around sunhigh."

"Thank you," Tanglestar mewed, " I think I'm going to get some fresh air," she said, rising to her paws and stepping past Mosspelt. She began walking towards the camp entrance, not even stopping by the fresh kill pile.

Apprentices sneaking out of camp, the light in the night sky, and the stone. It was overwhelming! On top of that, she had a clan to take care of. If she was a warrior it would be much easier to go and find the stone. But she was leader, and she had responsibilities.

Tanglestar stepped through the camp entrance, and immediately felt less constricted. The pressure of her duties slipped away, like a weight being lifted off her shoulders. Eager to stretch her legs, Tanglestar took off into a run, dashing through the trees, heading anywhere, she didn't care where. As long as the wind ruffled her fur and the ground was underfoot, she was happy.

After running for what felt like forever, Tanglestar came upon the river. It was at a shallow part, and if she wanted to continue she could cross it without a problem. However, deciding that she had gone far enough, Tanglestar turned around and started trotting back towards camp. The air was hot in the middle of greenleaf, and the breeze wasn't helping much. Tanglestar slowed to a walk, starting to feel the heat, when she picked up a scent in the breeze.

It was a hint of FireClan. It probably had just drifted over from the border, but she was nowhere near there. Was she just imagining the scent? She sniffed the air again. The scent was gone.

Feeling her heart thudding in her chest, Tanglestar quickened her step, flicking her ears at every sound. She was probably just over- reacting, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Tanglestar arrived at camp behind the hunting patrol. They brought back plenty of prey, and Tanglestar congratulated them.

Tanglestar glanced around camp, and saw that some cats were laying in the clearing, sleeping in the sun. The kits were inside the nursery asleep, and as a result the camp was calm. Realizing that she hadn't eaten anything all morning, Tanglestar headed for the fresh kill pile and was about to pick up a mouse when yowls sliced through the air. The scent of FireClan became overwhelming, and then the enemy warriors flooded through the camp entrance, claws unsheathed.

"Leafclan! Fight!" Tanglestar ordered, leaping forward to attack the closest FireClan warrior. Her clan member raced forward into the swarm.

She met him head on, and lightning fast she swiped at him, slashing him across the chest, blood staining his fur.

The mottled brown tom wasn't swayed; he leapt forward and sunk his teeth into Tanglestar's shoulder.

The clan leader tried to pull back, but the tom hung on, and a searing pain ripped through her side.

Tanglestar swiveled her head back and locked her jaws on whatever part of the tome she could reach. Her opponent let go, but before he could attack again, another FireClan cat came flying at Tanglestar, knocking her to the ground. The sounds of cats screeching filled her ears, and as she struggled against the cat that held her down, she hoped the kits were safe. FireClan cats were ruthless.

"You'll die nine times," Tanglestar's enemy whispered before slashing her throat, sending a wave of pain through her body. She felt blood soak her fur, and as she felt her energy draining, she wondered if her opponent was right.

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**Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I appreciate critique and suggestions, and thank you once again to those who have already reviewed! **


	16. Chapter 16

The two young cats sat in their den, glaring at each other.

"Why didn't you smell him?" Dapplepaw growled, "you're always bragging about your strong sense of smell."

Duskpaw didn't reply. He sat on his bed of moss, a scowl covering his face.

"Any great ideas now?" Dapplepaw hissed, "now that we're bound to get stuck on cleaning out the elders den for half a moon? I bet we won't be going to the next gathering either."

"Quit complaining," Duskpaw muttered, "it's not only my fault we got in trouble. It's yours too."

Before Dapplepaw could respond, howls echoed through the camp and a familiar voice wailed, "LeafClan, fight!"

The apprentices jumped to life, scrambling out of their den to see a wave of cats spilling through the camp entrance.

The first thing that entered Dapplepaw's mind was FireClan. FireClan was invading!

Without a second thought, Dapplepaw jumped into the mass of cats, tackling a gray apprentice, taking him down with a thud.

The apprentice was about the same size as Dapplepaw, and just as strong. Almost as soon as Dapplepaw had tackled the FireClan cat, he was rewarded with a slash of unsheathed claws across his snout.

Recoiling, Dapplepaw slashed the tom's belly, blood spilling out.

Both cats, with unreleased rage, clawed each other, giving no mercy. Now that Dapplepaw's opponent had to his feet, the fight grew dangerous.

The FireClan apprentice reared onto his hind legs, and Dapplepaw saw his chance. He darted forward and rammed into the other cat's stomach, knocking him onto his back. Dapplepaw got ready to pounce, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Moontail fighting a she-cat. All the other warriors were busy fighting, and one cat trying to guard the nursery wasn't enough.

Leaping away from the apprentice, Dapplepaw bounded towards the nursery, managing to avoid the cats going for revenge.

Once Dapplepaw was close enough, he leapt onto the FireClan cat's back.

The she-cat spun around, and then rolled, attempting to get her attacker off. The apprentice jumped off before he was squished, and while the warrior was down, Moontail pinned the FireClan warrior to the ground. Satisfied that he had given Moontail an advantage, he turned away, ready to attack any cat that came near the nursery.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw something approaching, but before he could turn and look he was on the ground and his head felt as if it had been cracked open, and fire was shooting through all his senses. Dapplepaw was ready when a wave of blackness engulfed him, numbing his senses, and sweeping the pain away.

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**Thank you for reading, and thanks to those who have reviewed! I welcome critique as long as it's useful, and I would like to hear what you think about the story so far. Also, I changed Cometsong's name Moontail.**


	17. Chapter 17

Tanglestar let her eyes slide shut for a moment, then struggled to open them, determined to not go down without a fight. However, the FireClan tom wasn't staring down at her anymore. Instead, she saw the blue sky and green leaves swaying in the breeze, oblivious to the battle going on below.

_The battle._

Tanglestar managed to roll onto her side then staggered to her paws. She felt her legs quivering, and felt the damp blood soaking her neck. But regardless of how weak she was, she was ready to fight. What Tanglestar wasn't ready for though, were cats fleeing past her, heading for the camp tunnel.

As she looked around the camp she realized it was FireClan cats fleeing, not her own.

_What's going on?_ Tanglestar wondered. She gazed around the camp, and saw her injured clan mates staring at the scene around them, confused. FireClan might not have been there long, but they caused plenty of damage.

Tanglestar began limping towards the medicine den, when a cat came up beside her. She turned her head and looked, and saw it was Smokesong.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his eyes wide with worry.

"Yeah," Tanglestar croaked.

"I don't think so," the gray tom mewed, "that was Ravenclaw. He's one of the best FireClan warriors. He would have killed you if I hadn't jumped in."

Tanglestar managed to mrrow weakly. Good old Smokesong- always ready to leap in and save the day. "Thanks for saving me. But wait," Tanglestar stopped, "other cats should be treated before e. I have plenty of lives, and other cats don't."

Smokesong rolled his eyes, "you're our leader. We need you alive. Come on, Silvermoon will help you."

Not feeling strong enough to argue, Tanglestar let the gray warrior lead her a few more steps to the medicine den, where other cats were gathering outside.

"Coming through!" Smokesong mewed, causing cats to part to the side as Tanglestar stumbled into the den.

In the medicine den, Silversong was busy attending to a cat laying on his side in a bed of moss. As she stepped closer, she realized the cat was Dapplepaw. Robinpaw was standing beside his unconscious brother, his whiskers twitching.

"Tanglestar is hurt," Smokesong announced.

Silversong turned, and ordered Robinpaw to keep a watch on Dapplepaw. Then she exclaimed once she saw Tanglestar, "did you lose a life?"

"No, I was close to it though."

"Good. Now sit down, and I'll get some cobwebs…"

Once Silversong began applying herbs to her neck, Smokesong left satisfied. Tanglestar let her gaze wander around the organized, spacious medicine den, and then her eyes landed on Dapplepaw.

The apprentice still hadn't woke up. Robinpaw had cleaned off some blood off his snout, making him look almost… peaceful. Like he was asleep.

"Ok Tanglestar, you can go. But wait," Silversong mewed as the leader rose to her paws, "Take it easy. If you move too much your neck will start bleeding. So go rest in your den and I'll check on you later."

"Ok," Tanglestar agreed, flicking her tail, ready to get away from the bossy she-cat.

Once Tanglestar pushed through the small crowd of cats outside the medicine den, she realized the true damage FireClan had done.

LeafClan was a small clan, there weren't many warriors. At the moment, five of those warriors were waiting outside the medicine den, with wounds and scratches decorating their sides. That left the last three cats helping out where ever they could.

Tanglestar limped across the clearing, heading for her den. She nodded to Foxblossom, who was helping Moonsong with her kits. Then she pushed through the leaves and padded inside her den.

At the back of her den, something caught her eye. It was a soft glow, easy to miss. As Tanglestar stepped closer, she realized it was a small stone, glowing. She felt a pang of longing, and remembered what she needed to do, clan leader of not. It was time to find the pieces of stone.

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**Thanks to those who reviewed last time, I appreciate the feedback. Thank you for reading this chapter, and please review again!**


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